The Pakistani side, captained by Babar Azam, practised here on Thursday in anticipation of the T20 Asia Cup 2022, which gets underway on August 27.
Players were spotted practising before of the intense match against India, whom Pakistan will play in the Asia Cup opener on Sunday in Dubai.
Before the competition began, Pakistan was dealt a severe blow when star pacer Shaheen Afridi was forced to withdraw from the team owing to a knee injury he sustained while fielding in the first Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle. Mohammad Hasnain, a right-arm fast bowler, has taken Afridi's place in Pakistan's 15-person Asia Cup team.
Saqlain Mushtaq, the head coach of Pakistan, claimed that Afridi's absence will not significantly affect the team's ability to bowl.
"We have three players who can dismantle any batting order: Naseem Shah, Mohammad Hasnain, and Haris Rauf. Additionally, the good weather would facilitate our collective playing "On the sidelines of the practise, Mushtaq spoke with IANS.
Prior to India's practise session on Wednesday, the 45-year-old praised the meeting between Virat Kohli and Babar Azam, noting that "cricket also links humanity."
In a video posted by the BCCI, Kohli could be seen greeting the Pakistan skipper and shaking hands with him. Even though it was only a 35-second film, the interaction between the two best batters in the world of cricket sparked a social media craze, and the image has since gone global.
"That image of the cricket is a representation of love. The cricket stadium in Dubai has put a lot of effort into lowering the tension during matches between Pakistan and India, which is excellent for the spirit of the game "Mushtaq added.
India has won the Asia Cup the most times, with seven victories (1984, 1988, 1990-91, 1995, 2010, 2016, and 2018), followed by Pakistan with two victories (2000, 2012).